God’s Silence is Not His Absence

Jan 28, 2026

If God feels silent…

Share this devotional:
God's silence is not His absence

Did you know people felt like God was silent in the Bible? So you’re not the only one if you’ve ever

-Prayed and nothing changes

-Hope but don’t see movement

If you’ve wondered, “God, are You even doing anything right now?” 

Jesus answers that question. He said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” If we’re going to take Jesus at His word, “always” means always. 

Even when He feels silent. Even when you feel stuck. When you can’t see Him. 

Maybe God is wanting us to reconsider something today. His silence isn’t a sign that He’s gone- maybe it’s just a sign that He’s working in ways you can’t see yet. Take this with you the rest of your day: God’s silence is not His absence. 

If you want help trusting Him in the quiet, there’s a prayer waiting for you below:

A Prayer for When God Feels Silent

God, I can’t see You very much or at all right now. 

But I choose to trust You. 

Remind me that You’re working in ways I can’t see. 

Your Word says that You’re always up to something. 

Thank you for being present with me, especially now. 

Help me rest in Your presence even when You feel quiet. 

Amen. 

Subscribe for more daily prayers like this in your inbox. Click here to join the list..

Related Thoughts

  • Giving Control Back to God

    Accent Heading

    Trying to control everything is exhausting…but why is it so tempting to control or manage life? 

    Isaiah 26 says, “God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in Him.”

    Peace doesn’t come from controlling more. It actually comes from giving that control back to God. That’s what trust is. Giving the right to control to God. 

    So, the next time your mind starts racing, or your heart gets worried — Trust the One who is safe. The One who is reliable. The One who’s faithful. Gently bring your heart back to trusting God. Because on the other side of trusting Him, there’s peace. 

    You can take this ONE step further and pray this with us…

    Surrendering Control plus trusting God equals peace.
  • God isn’t afraid of your questions

    Accent Heading

    Sometimes questions feel off limits. Like “good Christians” shouldn’t have these kinds of questions or doubts. But here’s the truth: you’re not crazy for having questions.

    You see this all over Scripture– people asking why, how long, where are you God, what are you doing, do you hear me? God never dismisses these questions. He leans in. 

    Psalm 62:8 says, “Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” That means all of your “can I ask that?” questions, confusion, frustrations are welcome. Real faith has room for honest questions because these questions don’t weaken your faith…they deepen it. Your questions may not always be met with an answer, but Jesus will meet you there every time.

    If you’re wrestling with something, will you pray this with us?

    Honest questions can lead you closer to God
  • God Sees You Before You See Him

    Accent Heading

    There are moments when life feels painfully…ordinary. Routine days, unnoticed work. In the monotony of it all, you might wonder if any of the things you’re doing really matters or if God sees you. 

    In Exodus 3, Moses is tending sheep in the wilderness when He sees a bush on fire. Now, tending sheep is not impressive and Moses wasn’t leading or performing here. Just another unimpressive day. But Moses sees this miraculous burning bush and goes over to look at it. 

    “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

    Before Moses ever speaks to God, God sees Moses. The same is true for you. God notices you in the ordinary places. The quiet, the boring, the hidden, and the in-between. Here’s one reminder you might need today: God sees you before you see Him. If you want to pray through that, we have a guided prayer for you below:

    God sees you before you see Him
  • God Shows Off Through You

    Accent Heading

    Feeling inadequate can be paralyzing. Maybe you’ve said one of these things lately…

    I’m not talented enough. Not spiritual enough. Not confident enough. Just…not enough. 

    But over and over in the Bible, God chooses people that we would never pick to be influencers for Him: shepherds, fishermen, the overlooked, insecure, and unqualified. 

    2 Corinthians 12:9 says that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Meaning this: your weakness is the very place that God shows off His strength. Your weakness doesn’t disqualify you – it actually qualifies you to be used by God in a significant way. 

    Take this one thought with you today: God uses your ordinary to show off His extraordinary. If inadequacy has been keeping you stuck, we have a prayer for you below:

    God uses your ordinary
  • God Works in Your Waiting

    Accent Heading

    Waiting has to be one of the hardest things in life. Waiting for answers. Waiting for a bad date to end. Waiting for change. Waiting, big or small, is not fun. 

    Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” God doesn’t waste waiting. He uses it to grow you, strengthen you, prepare you. To make your faith deeper. 

    Waiting doesn’t have to be passive, either. Waiting can look like trusting God even when you can’t see very much progress. 

    Here’s your one thought today: waiting isn’t wasted when God is in it. 

    If you’re growing tired of waiting, we’ve created a guided prayer for you:

    waiting with God isn't wasted time
  • You Can Have a Fresh Start

    Accent Heading

    You don’t need a new year, new month, or new job to start over. Sometimes you just need a reminder: new isn’t as far away as it may feel. Lamentations 3:23 says that God’s mercies are “new every morning.” Think about where you’re struggling, where you’re longing for a fresh start, where you’re looking for forgiveness. Now think about how far away tomorrow morning it. 

    Every sunrise is proof that God hasn’t given up on you. There’s forgiveness, God’s love, and mercy waiting for you every morning. 

    So, no. You haven’t missed your chance. God hasn’t changed His mind about you. You can begin again, today, with God. 

    If you want one takeaway here it is: God is known for new beginnings. When you’re ready to start fresh, we have a prayer waiting for you below:

    God is known for new beginnings
  • You Don’t Need Perfect Prayers

    Accent Heading

    Have you ever stared at a blank page, trying to find the right words — maybe for a school paper, an important text, or even a prayer — and nothing comes out?

    Sometimes, it can feel like God has a minimum word count and when you don’t have the words, it’s just easy to not pray at all. In those moments, be reminded that God isn’t counting words. There’s nothing too small or too big that He doesn’t want to hear about. And when words do fall short, 

    “The Spirit himself intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26 NIV).

    That means even when you don’t have the words, God understands the heart behind your silence. He’s not measuring your prayers by length or eloquence — He meets you in the quiet.

    So if you can’t find the words today, don’t let that stop you from showing up. Sit in the stillness. Let your sighs, your tears, even your silence — become your prayer. He knows. Let this one thing help you today: you don’t need perfect prayers. 

    If you’re having a hard time finding words today, we have a prayer for you below:

    God hears your prayers.